Dovecot IMAP IDLE Vulnerability: Unauthorized Access to User Emails
Summary
ALPINE-CVE-2020-24386: An issue was discovered in Dovecot before 2.3.13. Affects dovecot versions < 2.3.13-r0. Fixed in 2.3.13-r0. How to fix ↓
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Background
Dovecot is an open-source IMAP and POP3 email server for Unix-like operating systems. It is designed to provide a secure and efficient email service, supporting various authentication methods and mailbox formats. The vulnerability in question affects Dovecot versions prior to 2.3.13, where an authenticated attacker can exploit the IMAP IDLE command to gain unauthorized access to other users' email messages and potentially disclose sensitive path information.
Vulnerability Detail
An issue was discovered in Dovecot before version 2.3.13. By using the IMAP IDLE command, an authenticated attacker can trigger unhibernation through attacker-controlled parameters. This can lead to unauthorized access to other users' email messages and path disclosure, posing a significant security risk to the affected systems.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
2.3.13-r0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade dovecotTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, consider disabling the IMAP IDLE feature until the package can be updated. This can be done by modifying the Dovecot configuration file (usually located at /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf) and setting 'imap_idling = no'. After making changes, restart the Dovecot service for the changes to take effect.
Conclusion
The Dovecot IMAP IDLE vulnerability poses a significant risk to user privacy and security by allowing authenticated attackers to access other users' email messages. It is crucial to update to the patched version 2.3.13-r0 or later to mitigate this risk. Additionally, utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and manage vulnerabilities in your software effectively.
See every vulnerability recorded for dovecot →
FAQ
The CVSS score of this vulnerability is 6.8, indicating a medium severity level.
All versions of Dovecot prior to 2.3.13 are affected by this vulnerability.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
If exploited, this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to other users' email messages and sensitive information, compromising user privacy and security.
Yes, Vulert provides a solution that monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just a manifest file like package-lock.json.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for dovecot.
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